Syntheses, structures and properties of kinetically stabilized distibenes and dibismuthenes, novel doubly bonded systems between heavier group 15 elements

The first stable distibene (RSb=SbR) and dibismuthene (RBi=BiR) were successfully synthesized by taking advantage of steric protection using an efficient steric protection group, 2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl (Tbt). Since it is quite difficult to investigate the reactivities of the distibene (TbtSb=SbTbt) and dibismuthene (TbtBi= BiTbt) in solution due to their extremely low solubility values, similarly overcrowded distibene and dibismuthene, BbtE=EBbt (E = Sb, Bi), with sufficiently high solubility were also synthesized using another bulky substituent, 2,6-bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]-4-[tris(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl group (Bbt). The crystallographic analysis and spectroscopic studies of these stable dipnictenes led to the systematic comparison of structural parameters and physical properties for all homonuclear doubly bonded systems between heavier group 15 elements. In addition to these experimentally obtained results, theoretical calculations for these doubly bonded systems also revealed the intrinsic character of dipnictenes.